House holds billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress over Epstein investigation

WASHINGTON (AP) – The House approved a resolution Wednesday holding billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress, referring the matter to the Department of Justice after he defied the Oversight Committee's subpoenas in its investigation into disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Key points

• Republicans and Democrats from the Oversight Committee joined in a bipartisan effort to advance the resolution forward.
• The action was swift, and without a formal vote, and now leaves it to the Justice Department to decide whether to seek criminal prosecution.
• Black's lawyers have denounced the Oversight Committee's pursuit of the former head of a private equity firm as an abuse of congressional power.

What happened

Notably, the action was swift, and without a formal vote, and now leaves it to the Justice Department to decide whether to seek criminal prosecution. Black has refused to respond to the subpoenas' requests to appear and to turn over any potential nondisclosure agreements involving the investigation into Epstein.

Black's lawyers have denounced the Oversight Committee's pursuit of the former head of a private equity firm as an abuse of congressional power. They remarked he "had no knowledge of any of Epstein's heinous conduct."

The bottom line

Taken together, the developments around house holds billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress over Epstein investigation point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.